


By Any Other Name, Would Smell as Sweet

by skyearth2512



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Based on events happening recently, Heart-to-Heart, Light Romance, Like maybe too realistic, M/M, More about talking and discussion than romance though its there, Realistic, Talks about the fandom, and overall twitter topics, jisung likes chenle, rose day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:02:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24266320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skyearth2512/pseuds/skyearth2512
Summary: The happenings on Rose Day between Jisung and Chenle
Relationships: Park Jisung & Zhong Chen Le, Park Jisung/Zhong Chen Le
Comments: 3
Kudos: 44





	By Any Other Name, Would Smell as Sweet

**Author's Note:**

> I just want to say that this is a fictional interpretation on the events that's been happening and what conversation could have taken place. It's not an actual statement on my perspectives on the issue or an attempt to imply how cl or js feels This is completely fictional so don't try and come in with some SJW response. 
> 
> This is my first post and I dont know why i decided to go with such a theme and story haha but i got really inspired by JS's inital Lysn post on Rose Day and was then sidetrack by all the discussion over twitter.

Jisung scrolls through his twitter feed with his secret account (of which he is careful to have no pictures posted at all and simply stalks a few fan accounts) and sees a scurry of roses scattered. 'Ah, it’s Rose Day,' he muses and breaks into a smile. He immediately thinks of that photo of Chenle with the roses and how handsome he looked there.

Lately, Jisung has had all kinds of feels with Chenle since he returned back to the dorm and all the Dreamies were attached by the hip through every waking hour. The adrenaline high of the comeback, the confirmation of 7Dream and then the unexpected success of this particular comeback with records he never thought he’d experience before his 20s made him feel like floating most days. In the flurry of it all, he had also finally accepted his feelings for Chenle. Those tiny butterflies and racing heartbeat he had tried to explain away during Go, then embraced them fully with no facial management during We Go Up and then the realization of that and wanting to perhaps bury it and stay friends during Boom era...This time around Jisung just wanted to stay true. Yes, he likes…no…he loves Chenle. He loves all that they have experienced together, and how Chenle was the one who brought him out of his shell, and despite the constant teasing, Chenle was always the one to support and cheer him on through his insecurities. He loves him for their precious friendship and that’ll never change. And yes, he might have not so platonic feelings for his best friend anymore as his heart sings when he hears the high pitch laughter, and his brain teases about how handsome Chenle looks when he dances and how cute Chenle gets when his eyes light up from talking about something he's excited about. He loves them all, and this time around he wasn’t going to try and fight it. 

'The fans like it anyway,' he thinks. If it ever gets called out, he could always just attribute it to fan service and leave it at that. And so he was always a tad bit bolder during broadcasts.

It’s not as though Chenle action hasn’t been springing that small leak of hope. For the longest time, because of his teasing and not responding to any of Jisung's flirting and his adamant line drawing to not be romantically linked, Jisung had thought that he had to try and bury this feeling in his heart. But, if he dared to hope, he did notice Chenle being a lot meaner to him every time he went with Jaemin somewhere without him. Could he be jealous? Jisung thinks its cute though he doesn’t want to get ahead of himself. Then there are times where he feels Chenle deliberately trying to make him jealous, he has noticed how Mark gets brought up every time Jisung says something about doing things with other hyungs or how he kept pushing the ChenChan agenda but looked to Jisung for his reactions. Besides it all, he noticed how Chenle still ends up finding him at the dorms, bought him food on most days and generally stuck by him especially when the cameras were off. 

Maybe he’s an idiot, he always has been. But right now, he doesn’t care...he rather be an idiot in love than keep trying to think his way out of things. He was a year away from adulthood, and isn’t being stupid in love a part of youth?

'Anyway...' he thought, 'Tomorrow morning i’m gonna tell him about rose day and how couples exchange roses.' He didn’t know what he expected out of it, but he just wanted Chenle to know. 

Jisung woke up with a flurry of messages on bubbles and a chattering on twitter about Jaemin and the dreamies. 'Not again' he thinks. 'Jaemin Hyung had already suffered enough this comeback when he was only being nice to his friend but now another comment is getting blown up. I got called out for that lysn status before....and now what.'

His face dropped when he saw the comments and not only that but how Haechan Hyung was being dragged through the comments as well. His heart hurt…they never meant to say anything like that. Besides, wasn’t the word in that context simply the same as dumb or stupid? Jisung, being the masochist that he sometimes thinks he is with the amount of teasing he still endures from Chenle, went deeper down the hole and realizes that 'ah...it could be hurtful to some ppl who are experiencing it. and how everyone had a diff lens in which they looked at things' In the end, it would never be his intention to laugh at anyone with such a plight or take it lightly...he desperately wanted to address it but he knew how strict SM public relation team were. He had already gotten the message from managers to do nothing and ignore it. SM reiterates that they know how to manage conflict and this kind of things happens every comeback for decades and that the best way to handle it is to just ignore it. JIsung doesn't know if he agrees with that but nonetheless, he felt resigned and his mood immediately sank

it was only breakfast and everyone had been in the low mood. there were still some practice going on n all that but nobody really said much. Eventually somehow, it was evening and they hadn’t done much today in terms of interacting with the fans. Jisung send a bubble update anyway as he thought it’d be better to know he was still trying to talk to them, the barrage of hate that came from the fact that he didn’t address anything made him want to cry. But Jisung doesn't. He is bigger now n he doesn’t cry for these things anymore, he just lets his heart get filled with those heavy words like a lead balloon and sinks into the nook of the sofa in the living room. 

"Yo you ok? Cheer up." Chenle says as he plops himself on the left to Jisung. it was just the two of them as all the hyungs were in their room enjoying their solitude. Jisung knew Jaemin usually prefers his alone time during such situations so he decided to go to the living room to chill. He had momentarily forgotten that Chenle stayed in the dorm, but he felt his heart lift again with the comforting presence of his best friend. 

"No…i wrote on bubble and people are criticizing me for not addressing the issue. They think we don’t care." he says, voice breaking a little as he said the last line, feeling every weight of how untrue it could be. 

"Ah you’re doing it again..I keep telling you to not think so much. Also that’s what u get for being so active in the platform, you’re just gonna get bombarded with too many opinions. that’s why i don’t use that app much"

"Yea but that’s how i know how czennies are feelings. i want to stay close to them. they’ve given us so much, we owe everything to them."

"No i know that. I’m grateful for all they’ve given, even until now I still can’t believe how much love we receive. its not that I don’t care, its just the same like how i watch those shows before i sleep. i like being surrounded by happy thoughts so I stay happy. n i know we get a lot of love and warm messages too but there's a small group of people that think just because they support us they have the right to control and judge everything that we do. and they’re allowed to feel that. you can’t please everyone. Still, if we try our best and do what we can for those that care for us…isn’t that enough?"

"No…yea…you’re right. But at the same time, for me even if i get hate i still want to know. i want to know everything i want to share in their joy and their anger and their fears. because i feel like when I’m down or worried they’re there for me too, so even if its hard i want to know…"

Chenle stares with a small upturn of his lips and his eyes soften. Jisung knows that look, it's the same one he gets from all these adults that seem to say - you’ll see when you grow up - a smile that acknowledges that adorable little innocence left but sympathy for knowing what he might learn eventually. 

"They’re very lucky then, to have you." Chenle simply says. 

'You have me too…' Jisung almost blurts out, but decided against it. It was rare that he was having such a conversation with Chenle. Something more than that smiley veneer or biting teasing mode he always puts on. He had noticed Chenle energy waning a lot more recently and wondered if it had anything to do with the trending hashtag on twitter a week ago. Initially, when he first saw it he was afraid to bring it up because he was worried Chenle would get hurt at the notion. But perhaps more than that, Jisung was afraid that he would hear things that he didn’t want to confront. Nonetheless, at that moment, when he felt Chenle was opening up, Jisung couldn’t help but say

"They love u too u know."

"Of course i know that. like i said I’m super thankful and i love them too. Even if it's not in that overly attentive way that n u Jaemin do it…." Chenle responded defensively.

"uh..u know…do u know bout the…hashtags about u when it happens?'

"Which one?"

"idk in general i guess"

"I don’t go on twitter dude. " Chenle says n then pause "....But i go on weibo sometimes n u can’t help it if u sometimes see some stuff even if u don’t want to "

"Do u feel that it is true?" Jisung simply ask. without addressing the message head on.

Chenle stares at him and his eyes darts back and forth. Chenle knows the question and what he meant and his brain was computing whether to address it or not.

"I mean...idk, maybe sometimes? But its not like I actively think about it. Its obvious we are promoting in korea so if Jaemin is in the center or you are it is just who the audiences are. When we’re in china, we’re more prominent but we’re mainly here so I get it. besides I’m not as handsome as Jaemin anyway.."

"What are u talking about, you’re super handsome!" 

"Haha thanks. i meant objectively, I’m not unconfident about my looks or anything. " Chenle laughs and then shrugs.

"Do u regret it…coming here?" Jisung says quietly 

Chenle stares. "What?? No! I would have never met all of u right? I mean it when i say i want to promote as 7dream until I’m 50 or beyond!"

"No i mean like…like…do u ever wonder what it would be like if you had stayed in china…or like..u know do u ever think about going there? you’d get more attention and you’d be able to be closer to your family " 

"I…i don’t know. i don’t really want to think too much of what could have been. Yea sure, maybe i would have been more successful or had more attention in China but i wouldn’t have met the dreamies and not just that but the other NCT hyungs n everyone else that have treated me so kindly. i wouldn’t want to trade that off just for a few more moments in the spotlight. Its not like i cared much about these things anyway..."

Chenle pauses and then speaks up again.

"Besides I'll still have a chance to go to China I’m sure.."

and Jisung pouts. He knows the implication there. Like how Winwin left 127 to WayV. Jisung's heart twists and sinks as he dreads the moment Chenle has to leave to promote in China, even if it's only temporarily.

"Then….." jisung says "… What about me?"

"What???" Chenle says, in that typical manner every time Jisung say something unexpected that's just about the two of them. 

Flushed and embarrassed, he stammered "No..no..i mean like if the graduation system had stuck. and it was just me n you left without the hyungs, would you have stayed?"

Chenle looks at him straight in the eyes for a moment. and then rolls his eyes back and says, "That’s a stupid question. lets play some video games and get your mind off this."

Jisung frowns. Chenle always does this. He deflects and changes the subject every time they were about to reach something deeper regarding the two of them. What was Chenle afraid of? Jisung's feelings or his own? Jisung didn’t want to give up this time so he pressed on. 

"Why? Why is it stupid? Because you would? Is that why?"

"I didn’t say that." Chenle glares and then continues rummaging through the remote to get to the game playing page.

"So what do u mean?" Jisung asked as straight as an arrow without yielding.

"No…"Chenle said staring ahead, "I wouldn’t leave..." and then in an unexpected moment, he turned and locked eyes with Jisung 

"Even if it’s only you."

Both boys were now staring at each other for what felt like an eternity, before Chenle breaks eye contact and looks back at the screen.

"Can we go back to the game now? Seriously.." he sighs. "Why do u make me say such cheesy things?"

Jisung smiles. The kind that gets to his cheekbone and creates deep crescent in his eyes. It was a simple sentence but it made his heart race.

In an extraordinarily bold move (though lately Jisung's been feeling bolder than before) he placed his hand over Chenle's and squeezes it. Looking ahead at the tv as he was too embarrassed to see Chenle’s reaction, he remarked 

“Me too. I would stay....even if it's only you” 

Chenle doesn’t move his hand away though he stiffens and Jisung can see Chenle from the corner of his eye looking with his mouth slightly ajar. Eventually, Chenle comments 

"Not like you have anywhere to leave for anyway. You’re stuck here."

and they both burst out laughing. It had been the first time Jisung laughed all day and he felt the knots in his heart untangling a little. Just like that, the tension was broken.

Jisung smiles and reflects on how, once again, he was so glad that Chenle was in his life. Chenle somehow always manages to both listen to him as he goes into his dark hole and effortlessly brings him out of that dark cloud. 

Like an angel pulling a thread through the sky. 

He suddenly remembers his agenda for the day and without thinking too much he simply says

"Ah that’s right…do u know today is Rose Day?"

"No…what’s that?"

"You've been here for awhile now! How do you not know it. It's the day in Korea where couples exchange roses..." 

Chenle continues staring at the screen with a blank expression again and goes 

"ok and so?"

"and…and singles eat curry on this day haha….i gave a rose to the czennies at midnight today on lysn hehe"

Chenle looks away from the tv and looks at Jisung and laughs 

"Ok so u n czennies are a couple now? Congratulations"

Jisung rolls his eyes, he doesn’t know what he expected out of the conversation anyway. but he felt there was no point in really trying to pursue it anymore. Chenle was here, n he felt lighter than he did all day.

"So u only give them to the person you’re dating or what?" Chenle asked 

"No… "Jisung replies. "Just anyone u care for. that’s why i gave it to czennies you dummy." 

and that was that. they played video games and bickered and laughed until eventually it was almost midnight and Chenle said he had to go clean up.

"Wanna sleep in the living room tonight?" Jisung asked. He was willing to play the I’m-sad-bout-the-state-of-the-world-card if Chenle was gonna say no

"yea ok." Chenle simply said n then left to wash up 

Cheerily, Jisung gathers the pillows and blankets to the living room. As he was setting the bed, he saw his screen lit up with a message notifications from Chenle.

'What?' he wondered as he peered around and realized that Chenle was still in the bathroom. 'Did he forget something?' 

He opened the message and there laid a single rose emoticon.

A warm flush crept onto Jisung's cheeks as he felt his cheekbones rising and his eyes crinkling

Without missing a beat, Jisung sends one back. 

and that was that. 

In his usual mode of midnight musings, Jisung was glad he said what he said to Chenle and that as hard as today was…it was still his favorite rose day as of yet. 

And as he looked out of the window into the dark sky with those bright little lights above, in the back of his mind, Jisung again pondered. Maybe he isn’t the only idiot with feelings after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it! I didn't want to be too explicit about some of the discussions or topics that were mentioned because I dont want to draw too much more attention to it. This is meant to be a piece for enjoyment. Sorry for typos and grammar mistake, I wrote this in a hurry.


End file.
